Howard U. Custodians Object to Outsourcing Plan

Custodians at Howard University are objecting to their work being outsourced in a system in which they will become employees of a private company, independent of Howard, The Washington Post reported. Outsourcing of custodial services is increasingly common in higher education, and Howard officials say it will help them become more efficient. But workers note that Howard, while grandfathering in current employees, won't commit to continuing key benefits -- such as a free Howard education -- for new workers. To many workers, this represents a shift away from a view that the historically black university was treating them as members of a community, and helping their families reach the middle class.